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RE: Moennig Barrels Article

Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2002-10-06 17:38

"the over-all tone quality of my A
clarinet seemed influenced by the bell switch and the Moennig barrel. I
now have this big problem--do I go with the great sound of my Buffet A
(but still hard to control in the upper register) or with the impeccable
intonation and evenness of my LeBlanc Concerto (which will never have the
"Buffet ring" in its sound.)"

"However, I have also been told by other NYC "pros" that,
while they like the way the Concertos/Opuses play, they are forced to
play the Buffet in order to "fit in" with the other musicians in the
city that they must play with. What is your experience relevant to this
situation???"

Bill sent me an email, here's my reply:

Hi Bill:
Thanks for the heads up on you new posting.
First of all, a bell switch is perhaps the biggest factor in changing the overall sound of a clarinet. That's a whole lengthy BB discussion in itself. The barrel is a big factor also, and a good Moennig bore barrel will help an A clarinet if it tends to be a bit tight on your Bb clarinet, so you're in the right ballpark with your experiment.
As for the Buffet/any other clarinet issue here in NYC, that's rubbish!
We listen to the player, and don't examine the brand of clarinet in deciding how well one plays on the job. This is a very tough town, and I've been quite successful for almost 40 years here. Many fine players have passed through NYC, with varying degrees of success. Never has their success, or failure, been based solely on the brand of clarinet they use. It's an easy cop-out to claim you didn't make it here because you played the "wrong" horn.
Enough said, keep up the experiments, you're on the right track.
Best,
JJM

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